One more step into the world I go

The weekend was gloriously hot and fortunately Mr FF had (eventually) rigged up the irrigation system. Even though it did make us late getting down to Yorkshire, our dinner had been put in the oven to keep warm, it was worthwhile as my plants survived the heatwave really well.

The christening was wonderful, a really uplifting service in our village Church where Amelia Jasmine's Mum and Dad were married three years ago. Her parents and godparents made their promises and all marked Amelia's forehead with the sign of the cross before she was christenedwith water from the beautiful 12th century font where at least five generations of our family have been baptised into the Church. We sang the same hymn we'd sung at Kerry and Shaun's wedding and at the end of the service Amelia was delighted to be carried laughing and kicking round the congregation by our lovely lady vicar so that everyone could greet her.All the guests, about 75, had a lavish lunch prepared by family at the local town cricket club. After a short nap Amelia kicked off her pretty white shoes, changed into something cooler and more comfortable and spent the afternoon being passed round the doting guests while grandads and great uncles enjoyed a gentle game of football and children romped happily on the grass under brilliant sunshine. In the pavilion someone pointed out to me amongst the old photographs of past teams one taken in 1947 of my Dad, a young man playing cricket for the town just a year before I was born. How appropriate that a new generation steps out in life under a photograph of her great grandfather, makes this great aunt very proud and maybe now that I've said goodbye to my family for a while and returned to Scotland just a little bit sad to be missing so much of Amelia's adventure, but I've left her in very safe and caring hands.